new segment of west bank security fence may separate nuns from monks

8/3/2019 New Segment of West Bank Security Fence May Separate Nuns From Monks

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New segment of West Bank security fence may separate nuns from monks

The separation fence could divide the nuns from the monks at the Cremisan

monastery, giving new meaning to gender segregation.

By Oz RosenbergTags: West Bank wallWest BankJerusalemIDF

The monks and nuns of the Cremisan monastery, on a pastoral ridge opposite Har Gilo,

have been living peacefully, side by side, since the place was built in the 1960s. But a

new segment of the separation fence Israel is building will not only bisect the Cremisan's

verdant terraces, but could also separate the inhabitants of this Salesian order, leaving the

nuns on the West Bank side of the barrier, and the monks on the Israeli side. That, at

least, is the solution the Defense Ministry recently proposed to the members of the

Catholic monastery.

The fence hasn't physically split the men from the women yet, but it has already caused a

rift between them.An IDF soldier walking

away after handing a

demolition order to

Sister Adrianna of the

Cremisan monastery

south of Jerusalem.

Photo by: Olivier

Fitoussi

The Cremisan is located on the slopes of Walaja, a Palestinian village, that will

eventually be surrounded by the separation fence. The monastery, which straddles the

West Bank and Jerusalem, was originally slated to be entirely on the Israeli side once the

fence is completed in September, according to the Defense Ministry.

For the monks, who earn their livelihood producing and selling wine, mainly in Israel,

that's good news. But for the nuns who operate a Catholic school for Palestinian children

from nearby West Bank villages, it's bad news. The fence will prevent their pupils from

reaching their school, or at the very least, make it difficult for them to do so.

Since 2006, when the monastery was informed of the impending construction of the fencearound Walaja, there has been tension between the men and women of the monastery.
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IDF soldier handing a

demolition order to


Cremisan monastery

south of Jerusalem.

Photo by: Olivier

Fitoussi

"The monks make wine, and for them it's great. They're interested in producing wine and

this enables them to send it to Israel, where their customers are located," said the Mother

Superior, Sister Adriana, this week. "For us it's not good at all. If the fence passes here

and they put us on the Israeli side, the children won't be able to reach us. There's only one

road to the monastery. The fence will create a checkpoint here with soldiers."

Sister Adriana would prefer not to have a fence built at all. This may be the only pointabout which the nuns and monks agree. About a month ago, in an attempt to calm things

down, the administration of the monastery published a guarded condemnation of the

fence, presenting the monks' view: "The monastery never asked to move over to the

Israeli side," it said. "The entire route of the fence, including the part that directly affects

the lands of Cremisan, was decided by the Israeli authorities alone." But the

announcement did not impress Sister Adriana. "We and the monks have very different

opinions regarding the fence here," she said, adding that she preferred not to elaborate.

The difference in the actions of the monks and nuns also attests to the dispute regarding

the route of the fence. Aside from publishing the condemnation, the monks took no action

to stop the construction of the barrier. On the other hand, the nuns turned repeatedly tothe Latin Patriarch in Israel to request his help in their struggle. Then, in March 2010,

they turned to an Israeli court to ask that the monastery remain under West Bank

jurisdiction. With the help of the Catholic human rights center Saint Ives, they asked to

join the petition of the residents of Walaja, who challenged the fence, which will

surround their village. The residents lost their petition to the High Court of Justice in

August. But the nuns of the Cremisan are still contesting the exact route of the fence.

"The petition itself is still under deliberation," explained attorney Manal Hassan Abusini,

who represents the nuns in the case.


Cremisan monastery

south of Jerusalem.


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Photo by: Olivier

Fitoussi

In response to the nuns' protests over the last four years, the Defense Ministry has

proposed various solutions. In the latest proposal, Abusini says that the ministry

suggested having the separation fence run through the monastery in such a way that the

nuns would remain in the West Bank, while the monks would be in Israel.

But the nuns oppose that proposal. It's not the physical separation from the monks that is

the problem. They say the proposed route will cause serious damage to the land of theSalesian order, some of which is used by them and their students. Sister Adriana and the

other nuns in the order were planning to submit their declaration of opposition to the

proposal, which was to be discussed in the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court this week.

Meanwhile, the school was empty during the week because of the Christmas vacation.

Ordinarily, there are almost 300 children aged 4-16 in the complex. They easily fill the

paved square that stretches opposite the large stone building that houses spanking clean

classrooms. Most of the children come from Walaja. "Our only work is educating the

children," says Sister Adriana. "When they come here we have to heal their hearts too."

Sister Adriana and the other nuns tried to broadcast business as usual as they prepared to

welcome the students back to school in a few days. But a cloud was hanging over themonastery. Sister Adriana sat in a nicely furnished room, calmly explaining her world

view. A minute later, she found herself outside the monastery fence conducting a lively

debate with a group of soldiers and a Defense Ministry contractor who were examining

the site - a preliminary stage before building the fence.

At the end of a short discussion the contractor handed her a demolition order for two old

buildings in the courtyard of the monastery, where the fence is supposed to pass. "We are

against this dispute," she said, alluding to the rift with the monks. "Here we say: 'Walls

do not make good neighbors.'"

The monks' administration at the Cremisan monastery preferred not to respond.

new segment of west bank security fence may separate nuns from monks

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